NEW YORK, NY (AUGUST, 8 2018) – Sundance Selects announced today that it is acquiring U.S. rights to NON-FICTION, written and directed by Olivier Assayas (PERSONAL SHOPPER, SUMMER HOURS), starring Juliette Binoche (LET THE SUNSHINE IN, CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA) and Guillaume Canet (TELL NO ONE) produced by Charles Gillibert (PERSONAL SHOPPER, MUSTANG) of CG CINEMA. The film will have its World Premiere at the Venice FIlm Festival followed by screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. IFC Films and Sundance Selects have previously collaborated with Assayas on the critically acclaimed films CARLOS, SUMMER HOURS, CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, SOMETHING IN THE AIR and PERSONAL SHOPPER.
In NON-FICTION, Assayas gives a light-hearted and ironic look at the rapidly-changing world of book publishing through the relationship between an editor (Guillaume Canet) and an author (Vincent Macaigne) who are both in over their heads, struggling to cope with their middle-age crisis, the digital transformation of the publishing industry and their wives’ (Juliette Binoche, and Nora Hamzawi, respectively) changing desires.
Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, Co-Presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects said, “We are honored to be working with Olivier and Juliette once more on NON-FICTION. Olivier’s ability to capture the eloquent but relentless nature of contemporary life is unparalleled. It is truly a fresh and vibrant screenplay with a supporting cast to match. We are thrilled to bring this smart, funny and insightful work to American audiences and be a home for Olivier in the United States.”
Olivier Assayas added, “I’m very grateful to IFC Films for their faithful support of my work for the past ten years beginning with SUMMER HOURS. NON-FICTION is another French language bittersweet comedy. It also marks my 10th anniversary of collaborating with my friend Juliette Binoche. I am a great believer in trust which is built over time, with my actors, with my crew, NON-FICTION would not have happened in a different context. I am happy it will be distributed based on the same values that presided over its making. I also hope it will hit the same emotional note that echoed through SUMMER HOURS, even if it deals with the strange ways our world has moved in since.”
Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, Playtime’s co-founder said, “We are delighted to have Sundance Selects on board for the U.S. distribution of NON-FICTION. They responded to the film as soon as they saw the first images of this highbrow, Parisian bittersweet comedy. Olivier Assayas is one of the handful of European filmmakers who have a name abroad and we look forward to working with them to make the film a success.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, EVP of Acquisitions and Productions at IFC Films/Sundance Selects and Playtime on behalf of the filmmaker.
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ABOUT SUNDANCE SELECTS
Established in 2009 and based in New York City, Sundance Selects is a leading U.S. distributor of prestige films focusing on American independents, documentaries and world cinema. Recent and upcoming releases include BLAZE by Ethan Hawke, EATING ANIMALS by Christopher Quinn, LET THE SUNSHINE IN by Claire Denis, THAT SUMMER by Goran Hugo Olsson, Mia Hansen-Love’s award-winning THINGS TO COME starring Isabelle Huppert; Josh Kriegman and Elyse Sternberg’s Sundance Documentary grand jury prize winner WEINER; Andrew Haigh’s Oscar-nominated 45 YEARS, starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay; Olivier Assayas’ CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, starring Juliette Binoche and Kirsten Stewart; Christian Petzold’s PHOENIX; and Laura Gabbert’s CITY OF GOLD. Previous releases also include the Dardenne Brothers’ Oscar-nominated TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT; David France’s Oscar-nominated documentary HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE; Wim Wenders’ Oscar-nominated documentary PINA; Werner Herzog’s CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS; Abdellatif Kechiche’s award-winning BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, starring Adèle Exarchopoulos; and John Maloof and Charlie Siskel’s Oscar-nominated FINDING VIVIAN MAIER. Sundance Selects is a sister label to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
ABOUT PLAYTIME
Playtime is a Paris-based international sales agency active since 1997. Each year, Playtime launches approximately 25 new films in the most prestigious festivals and handles an international library of approximately 400 features, and nearly 1,000 titles for its domestic market. Playtime is known for the quality of its artistic choices and worldwide successes such as Merry Christmas, Live & Become, C.R.A.Z.Y., Lemon Tree, Coco Before Chanel, War Witch, The Missing Picture, Son of Saul, Frantz, BPM (Beats Per Minute).
In addition to its Paris office, Playtime has set up three highly specialized sales companies: in 2008, Films Boutique, in Berlin, Brussels-based Be For Films in 2014, and Film Constellation in London in 2016.
Playtime is also an active co-producer, under the Playtime banner, of films such as Sunset (László Nemes, 2018), and BPM (Beats Per Minute) by Robin Campillo, and has recently set up a television sales arm for international series while strengthening its bound with French TV production company Empreinte Digitale. On May 2018 Playtime also launched a new production label dedicated to premium scripted drama, Curious Times, in partnership with Paris-based production company Curiosa.
Playtime will be handling international sales on Non-Fiction (by Olivier Assayas), selected in Competition in Venice and in Special Presentation in Toronto, Sunset (by László Nemes) also in Venice Competition and in Toronto Special Presentation, Angelo (by Markus Schleinzer), selected in Competition in San Sebastian, The Summer House (by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi), in Venice official selection, Out of Competition and Graves without a name (by Rithy Panh), Venice Days’ Opening film.